A vulnerable Republican senator stood firm in opposition to the “big, beautiful bill” proposed by President Trump, citing worries about substantial cutbacks to Medicaid as the reason.
Republican senator from North Carolina Thom Tillis told HeadlinesForever Digital he would not back the bill past a procedural obstacle that would have started the marathon of discussion and amendment votes that would have led to the measure’s final passage.
After leaving the Senate GOP’s closed-door lunch, Tillis—who faces reelection in 2026—stated that he had a “great relationship” with his colleagues but was unable to back the massive package.
“We simply hold differing opinions,” he stated. Furthermore, my coworkers have assessed the situation and are satisfied with the results for their respective states. I honor their decision. I will abstain from voting on the motion to continue since it would have a negative impact on my state.
Even in the last stages, he would not back the law. Republicans in the Senate, including Tillis, have voiced concerns about the GOP’s proposed adjustments to the tax rate on Medicaid providers.
John Thune, the Republican majority leader in the Senate from South Dakota, can’t afford to lose even one vote, and Tillis’ opposition to the measure is a negative indicator of that. Republicans Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky have both publicly stated their opposition to the procedural test.
Trump was having lunch with Johnson and another potential dissenter, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), as they were eating.
By Saturday at 4 p.m., lawmakers should have decided whether or not to move the measure forward.
Thune may have to start from scratch if the resistance continues to rise. To make matters more complicated, Collins—who is also up for reelection in 2026—has stated that she would back the plan through its initial stages but is considering voting against its ultimate passage unless it is “further changed.”
Near midnight, a revised version of the measure was released, which contained changes to the Senate’s proposal to delay the crackdown on provider rates by one year and an additional $25 billion for a stabilization fund for rural hospitals.
Tillis has stated that the crackdown would have a significant impact on his state, in contrast to other members of the group such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who are supportive of passing the measure over the first important procedural obstacle.
According to reports, the member did in fact express concern during a closed-door lunch earlier this week that codifying the amendments may result in North Carolina losing $40 billion in Medicaid money.
Even after talking to Trump, Tillis is not going to change her mind at this point. Additionally, he intends to provide more research about the effects of Medicaid cuts on his state, which he claimed no one in the “administration or in this building” could disprove.
If this helps the country, then that’s fantastic, I told the president when we spoke. Additionally, he expressed his appreciation for colleagues who have conducted thorough study and found differing results in their respective states. “We just have a disagreement based on the implementation in our respective states.”